East Hartford, CT —  Talented Connecticut middle and high school student scientists and engineers will be honored by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) at its 49th Annual Meeting and Dinner, to be held Tuesday, May 21, 2024, beginning with a reception at 6:00 PM at The Woodwinds in Branford, CT. Students from this year’s Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair, including the fair’s urban school challenge program, Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and Connecticut Invention Convention received CASE awards and will be recognized as part of the meeting.

The H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence established by CASE will be awarded to the top winners of the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair. The medal was created to recognize and honor H. Joseph Gerber’s (1924-1996) technical leadership in inventing, developing, and commercializing manufacturing automation systems for a wide variety of industries, making those industries more efficient and cost-effective in a worldwide competitive environment.

The 2024 H. Joseph Gerber Medal of Excellence

Ashley Malkin, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT

Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair – 1st Place, Life Sciences-Senior Division; Project: Development and In Vitro Verification of a Polymersome for Blood-Brain Barrier Transport through a Novel Machine Learning Model

Meiyin Ren, Westminster School, Simsbury, CT

Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair – 1st Place, Physical Sciences-Senior Division; Project: Dual-Degree-of-Freedom Pneumatic Shoulder Rehabilitation Device Based on Flexible Materials

Saachi Goyal, Academy of Information Technology and Engineering, Stamford, CT

Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair – Urban School Challenge High School Winner; Project: A Novel Machine Learning Model for Estrous Cycle Classification in Mice

2024 Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair – Middle School Winner, Urban School Challenge

Palaniappan Manikandan and Duke Clottey, Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, Windsor, CT

Project: Using Piezoelectric Sensors to Harvest Energy from Automobile Tires and the Road Surface

2024 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

1ST Place: Antonia Kolb, King School, Stamford, CT; Project: DETICKT IT: A Machine-Learning–Based Application for Real-Time Tick Identification and Spatiotemporal Disease Risk

2ND Place: Snigtha Mohanraj, Engineering and Science University Magnet School, West Haven, CT; Project: Synthesis of Porous Polymer Sponge Matrix Using Modified Sodium Alginate Clay Compound for Adsorptive Removal of Microplastics and Oil from Contaminated Water

3RD Place: Harshil Yerrabelli, Conard High School, West Hartford, CT; Project: Quantum Computing in Medical Diagnostics: A QSVM Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease Classification

4TH Place: Ashley Malkin, Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT; Project: Development and In Vitro Verification of a Polymersome for Blood-Brain Barrier Transport through a Novel Machine Learning Model

5TH Place: Dina Watson, Manchester High School, Manchester, CT; Project: Determining the Predictiveness of Beech Leaf Disease Symptom Severity Following Spring Leaf out Based on Overwintering Nematode Abundance in Fagus Grandifolia Buds

2024 Connecticut Invention Convention CASE Awardees

Jhose Ashitha, Illing Middle School, Manchester, CT, Mall Barricade

Charlotte Bunting, William J. Johnston Middle School, Colchester, CT, The Safety Seat

Isla David, Interdistrict Discovery Magnet School, Bridgeport, CT, Fragrant Fido

Connor Flynn, St. Rose of Lima School, Newtown, CT, Safe-Twist

Advait Garg, Irving A. Robbins Middle School, Farmington, CT, The Not Flop Top

Nolan Kosciukiewicz, John Wallace Middle School, Newington, CT, Super Flipper

Oliver Lind, Talcott Mountain Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Avon, CT, The Boreabrush

Justin Miller, Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy, North Windham, CT, Glove Breaker

Sophia Murray, Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy, North Windham, CT, A Piece of Cake

Nicolas Peach, Independent Inventor, Marlborough, CT, Self-Charge Car

Maria Rocha-Reaes, Discovery Magnet School, Bridgeport, CT, The Velcro Labeler

Lily Sacco, Hamden Middle School, Hamden, CT, O.W.B.I.S.

Arya Samat, Talcott Mountain Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Avon, CT, G.E.R. Green Energy Reminder

Phoenix Soto, Discovery Magnet School, Bridgeport, CT, Wax on Wax off

Isabella Velez, Benjamin Jepson Magnet School, New Haven, CT, The Tear Eliminator